


First Base

by Spacecadet72



Category: A League of Their Own (1992)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecadet72/pseuds/Spacecadet72
Summary: Dottie watches Jimmy's batting practice late one night.





	First Base

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elegantstupidity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/gifts).



> I'm not a fan of infidelity, and my love for 90s Bill Pullman is too great for me to kill off Bob, so I'm just pretending Dottie never married.
> 
> This is based on a deleted scene that's referenced in this [article](http://mentalfloss.com/article/56212/25-fun-facts-about-league-their-own). (#14) Because Dottie is single here, it changes things slightly, but hopefully for the better. :D
> 
> This one was a lot of fun to write, and my first for this fandom, so thanks for the prompt!

Dottie walked out of the dugout, the night air cool against her skin and she closed her eyes, reveling in how good it felt to be on the diamond. Her eyes flew open at the sound of a bat hitting a baseball, and she couldn’t help but smile as she noticed Jimmy at bat, his posture perfect as he hit another ball. 

She had come to the field to be alone, to have someplace where she could hear her own thoughts. She felt claustrophobic sometimes in the house with all the other girls. Sometimes she just needed quiet. But instead of being annoyed at her spot being taken, she walked closer to him, a smirk playing on the edge of her lips. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Dottie asked, cutting off Jimmy’s grumbling as he missed a ball. 

Jimmy looked up in surprise, and lowered his bat before his expression smoothed out. “I could ask you the same thing,” he said before putting his bat back up and hitting the ball flying towards him. 

Dottie shrugged and moved closer. “Still have too much energy after the game tonight.” 

Jimmy nodded. They had played the Racine Belles and it had been a close game. They had lost by only two points, leaving everyone on edge and bitter. 

“You know,” he said, his voice casual, but there was an edge to it, as if what he was about to say was important, and Dottie felt herself holding her breath. “I love watching you play,” he said as he took another swing, the bat connecting with the ball with a satisfying crack. 

His words sent a thrill through her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “Really? A girl? I’m not even a ball player,” she said, forcing a lighthearted and sarcastic tone. 

“Well,” Jimmy said, matching her tone, “most girls aren’t, but you could beat Ty Cobb or Ted Williams. Trust me, you’re a ball player.”

Dottie scoffed, trying to push down the tingling feeling in her stomach. “I don’t know about that. Have you been drinking?”

"Not more than usual," he said with a grin. 

Dottie smiled, looking down. Inside she was still reeling from how sincere he sounded. Where was this going?

She moved a few steps closer, against the warnings of a small voice at the back of her mind telling her this was dangerous. She knew she should listen, but internally scoffed instead. Jimmy? Dangerous? For all his blustering, he was about as dangerous as a bunny rabbit. Or Mitch Swaley.

“Still upset about the game?” she asked, trying to regain that light hearted feel their interactions had started to take lately. “I thought you just wanted to wave your hat and get paid.”

“Well,” he said, setting down his bat and walking over to her, “just waving my hat gets a little boring sometimes. I figure I might as well do a little coaching sometimes. I can’t let you have all the fun.”

Dottie rolled her eyes as she fought a grin. She had loved stepping in as coach, loved the responsibility, not to mention that she was good at it, but it was nice having Jimmy do his job. “It was getting to be a bit much doing both your job and mine.” 

He smiled. “I figure I should let you focus on what you do best.” 

“Coaching?” she said, arching an eyebrow at him. 

He barked out a laugh. “I’m still the better coach, even if you are a great ball player.” 

“Well, after this season, you won’t have to worry about me trying to encroach on your job,” Dottie said with a smile. 

Jimmy frowned. “You’re leaving after the season’s over? Why?”

Dottie shrugged. “I gotta get back to the dairy, my parents need the help.” 

“For being one of the best players in the league, you sure like to pretend you don’t care. Why do you fight it so hard?” he asked, taking a step closer to her. 

Dottie shrugged. “I guess there always seemed to be more important things to be doing. It’s just a game.” 

He shook his head. “It’s more than just a game. You wouldn’t be here if it was just a game.” 

Dottie shrugged. “Kit really wanted to come--”

“Bullshit,” Jimmy said, shocking her with his intensity. “You’re not just good at the game, you play it like you love it.” 

She nodded, her mouth suddenly dry. “I love it,” she said, not quite able to meet Jimmy’s eyes as she said it. “I love it more than just about anything.” 

Jimmy didn’t say anything, which surprised her. He always seemed to have a ready retort. Instead, he just stared at her, and when his gaze flicked down to her mouth, she had a moment to realize what was coming before he leaned in and kissed her. 

She had been kissed before--quick, stolen moments behind barns--but it had never been quite like this. His mouth was insistent against hers, but there was tenderness there too, and she felt herself melt against him, her arms moving up around the back of his neck. 

Dottie pulled back at the sound of a ball hitting the backstop, her heart racing and her eyes wide. 

“Dottie,” Jimmy said, his voice soft, his tone reverent as his eyes darted back to look at her lips. 

That voice at the back of her mind was telling her to turn around and walk away, but she felt stuck in place by the look in his eyes, and she couldn’t help but sneak her own glance at his mouth. 

“I--” she began, not sure where that sentence was heading, and finding that she didn’t want to finish it as Jimmy leaned in closer. She knew this moment would change everything. If she walked away now they might be able to brush it off, but somehow two kisses would be harder to pretend away. 

Telling the voice at the back of her mind to get lost, she reached up and pulled him towards her, their lips colliding and his arms wrapping around her to pull her in closer. She smiled into his lips. She could handle a little danger.


End file.
